Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer Review

Plenty of Pros swear by the Paslode CF325XP Cordless XP framing nailer, especially when it comes to punch-list work. We put it up against some of the best framing nailers in a head-to-head comparison to see exactly how well it performs on a broader spectrum.

Paslode CF325XP at a Glance

The major benefit to this Paslode CF325XP framing nailer is the lack of need for a hose and compressor. Paslode defined how gas nailers work. They hit the market well before any of the pure battery-powered options. To drive its 30° nails, a small lithium-ion battery ignites a gas from a cartridge. There’s not the same firing delay you find with DeWalt and Bostitch. You do get a slight delay and a gas smell to put up with. Of course, there’s also the additional cost of new gas cartridges every 1200 shots or so.

Pros

One of the lightest nailers we tested at 7.36 pounds
No hose to trip over or compressor to manage
Fires as powerfully as any pneumatic framing nailer
Excellent toenailer
Outstanding recoil control

Cons

More expensive than premium pneumatics at $350
Requires a battery and gas cartridge
Some users dislike the gas exhaust smell
No bump fire mode
Only holds one stick of nails

Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer Review

Paslode Cordless XP Testing Results

Feature Set: Paslode suffers here, lacking a bump fire mode completely, a metal magazine, and adjustable exhaust.

Ergonomics: Incredibly light weight is the highlight while the grip, footprint, and balance bring the score down. Its 84.7 points are good enough for 1st place in cordless by a large margin and 6th place overall.

Firing Strength: The Paslode Cordless XP framing nailer can keep up with any pneumatic model we tested. It earns a perfect score in a tie for 1st place.

Toenailing: Paslode’s nose design grabs wood at an angle easily, earning it another perfect score in a tie for 1st place overall.

Recoil Control: Paslode owns the recoil control category in both this and their pneumatic models. It sits tied in 1st place with a perfect score.

Reaction Time: There’s no firing delay like you find with some cordless nailers. However, there is a slight delay over the immediate action of a pneumatic gun. It still earns a score of 80 points here, only beaten on the cordless side by Hitachi.

Magazine Capacity: The downside of all our cordless framing nailers is that they only hold one stick of nails, making them more of a punch list tool than a primary consideration.

Depth Adjustment: Paslode forgoes a thumbwheel for a pinch-and-slide mechanism. It works, but it begins to move your hand to a riskier position.

Accuracy/Nose Visibility: The nose is reasonably easy to see around, but prevents being able to nail with perfect precision. It earns 80 points as the worst among cordless options and ahead of only Paslode’s pneumatic contender overall.

Value: Because cordless framing nailers have a premium on their price, it’s tough to maintain a solid value score. The Paslode Cordless XP framing nailer manages to have a sizeable lead at the top of the cordless models, but still only earns 63 points for 11th place overall.

Final Ranking and Score: Paslode finished with a total of 83.2 points, making it your best option for a cordless framing nailer and landing in 10th place overall.

The Bottom Line

The Paslode Cordless XP framing nailer backs up the hype as a popular cordless choice among Pro users. The lack of a bump-fire mode and its limited capacity makes it a tough sell as a primary framer, but it’s the most capable cordless option you have currently.